57 The righteous perish,k

and no one takes it to heart;l

the devout are taken away,

and no one understands

that the righteous are taken away

to be spared from evil.m

2 Those who walk uprightlyn

enter into peace;

they find resto as they lie in death.

3 “But you—come here, you children of a sorceress,p

you offspring of adulterersq and prostitutes!r

4 Who are you mocking?

At whom do you sneer

and stick out your tongue?

Are you not a brood of rebels,s

the offspring of liars?

5 You burn with lust among the oakst

and under every spreading tree;u

you sacrifice your childrenv in the ravines

and under the overhanging crags.

6 The idolsw among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion;

indeed, they are your lot.

Yes, to them you have poured out drink offeringsx

and offered grain offerings.

In view of all this, should I relent?y

7 You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill;z

there you went up to offer your sacrifices.a

8 Behind your doors and your doorposts

you have put your pagan symbols.

Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed,

you climbed into it and opened it wide;

you made a pact with those whose beds you love,b

and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.c

9 You went to Moleka d with olive oil

and increased your perfumes.e

You sent your ambassadorsb f far away;

you descended to the very realm of the dead!g

10 You weariedh yourself by such going about,

but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’i

You found renewal of your strength,j

and so you did not faint.

11 “Whom have you so dreaded and fearedk

that you have not been true to me,

and have neither rememberedl me

nor taken this to heart?m

Is it not because I have long been silentn

that you do not fear me?

12 I will expose your righteousness and your works,o

and they will not benefit you.

13 When you cry outp for help,

let your collection of idols saveq you!

The wind will carry all of them off,

a mere breath will blowr them away.

But whoever takes refuges in me

will inherit the landt

and possess my holy mountain.”u

Comfort for the Contrite

14 And it will be said:

“Build up, build up, prepare the road!v

Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”w

15 For this is what the high and exaltedx One says—

he who lives forever,y whose name is holy:

“I live in a highz and holy place,

but also with the one who is contritea and lowly in spirit,b

to revive the spirit of the lowly

and to revive the heart of the contrite.c

16 I will not accused them forever,

nor will I always be angry,e

for then they would faint away because of me—

the very peoplef I have created.

17 I was enraged by their sinful greed;g

I punished them, and hidh my face in anger,

yet they kept on in their willful ways.i

18 I have seen their ways, but I will healj them;

I will guidek them and restore comfortl to Israel’s mourners,

19 creating praise on their lips.m

Peace, peace,n to those far and near,”o

says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”

20 But the wickedp are like the tossing sea,q

which cannot rest,

whose waves cast up mirer and mud.

21 “There is no peace,”s says my God, “for the wicked.”t